THE MUNDEFORDS OF FELTWELL. As printed in January
1976.(article five in the Moundeford sequence)

Preamble

THE fascination for local history has spread, within the last few
decades like a locust through the countryside. Societies, groups and archaeological digs
claim followers from all professional ranks.

Perhaps more intensively interested than most is Brandon bank manager, Mr. A. J,
Orange, known as "Pip," who carries out dedicated research.

His work has already produced two booklets on the history of. Feltwell, his birthplace,
where he also founded the Archaeological and Historical Society in the 1960s. The detailed
nature of his research is astonishing.

At his home in Victoria Avenue he has created and built his own laboratory, where
meticulous copies of wills, manor rolls, tax returns and birth and death registers are
filed and bound. Copperplate and transcribed copies of letters from Queen Elizabeth I
commanding her squires in this district to carry out a shipping survey of the ports in
Norfolk show the depth of his study. The room also contains shelves of glass cases where
flints found locally, spearheads, axeheads and a variety of historical finds are stored.

Mr. Orange manages to fit in this comprehensive study with his full time work
as manager at Barclays Bank and running two sub-branches at Methwold and Feltwell. He has
recently produced a study of the Moundeford family, tracing family history from the birth
500 years ago of Francis, son of Osbert and Elizabeth Moundeford.

Body

Mr. Orange writes, "The family name was originally de
Mundeford, obviously from the parish of Mundford, seven miles from Feltwell. In 1208 Adam
de Mundeford held lands in Letton and Shipdham and, his son, Osbert, held the Manor of
East Hall, Mundford in 1234.

"In the early 14th century the family moved to Hockwold, dropped the
'de' and amended the surname to Moundeford, holding lands during that century in various
parts of Norfolk and one Manor (Barrow) in Suffolk

"Francis' grandparent, Adam (born circa. 1383) and Esselina left Hockwold about
1410 and founded the Feltwell branch of the family. The Hockwold branch ended when Osbert
(alive 1468) died leaving two daughters, Elizabeth (who died without issue) and Mary who
took the Hockwold estate in marriage to Sir William Tyndale K.B.

On March 26th, 1520, when her son was 17, Margaret died. She was buried in St. Mary's
Church, Feltwell, near the stone staircase which led to the old rood loft." After
describing Margaret's resting place Mr. Orange returns to Francis.

"Francis, a lawyer, was elected Member of Parliament for Lynn on January 7th,
1509-10 and again January 28th, 1511-12. In 1520, the Mayor, Aldermen and
Common Council of the City of Norwich agreed to create a new post - Steward of Norwich and
to select a discreet lawyer to fill it. The Steward's duty was to sit as chief justice of
the Sheriffs Court and to be a member of the council for the city. In 1521 they found and
appointed Francis the first Steward of Norwich. By custom the office was held for life
until it was abolished by the Municipal Reform Act of 1835.

"About two years after Margaret's death, Francis married Gertrude Smewen, a widow
and daughter of Robert Hoting, a London merchant. It was customary to draw up a financial
arrangement prior to marriage and before marrying Gertrude, Francis settled on her. For
life, the profits of two messuages, Dytton's in Methwold and Rebeckend in Hilgay, 320
acres of land, 30 acres of meadow and pasture and 200 acres of marsh in Methwold, Hilgay
and Southery.

"Gertrude, who was considerably younger than Francis, had two daughters by her
first marriage, Jane and Margaret Smewen who each inherited ten marks (then a considerable
sum) from their stepfather. Osbert, son and heir of Francis, was 18 when his Father
remarried so Gertrude, who gave Francis three more sons and five daughters, could not have
been much older than her stepson because she was still living (at Wereham) in 1580.

"When Francis made his will on July 21st, 1536 Gertrude was again pregnant. He
died two or three weeks later so he may not have seen his youngest child if indeed it
lived. There is no record of it.

"During most of his life Francis served as a commissioner appointed to assess,
levy and collect the taxes' granted to the sovereign by Parliament. He was appointed
Commissioner for Gaol Delivery for Lynn, February 13th, 1510, for Norwich on November 13th,
1513, and Commissioner for the Peace for Norfolk on May 28th, 1514. In 1523 he
paid £8 8s in taxes and on April 1st, 1524 made a loan to the king for the war
with France. The total value of the Norfolk Loan was £3438 6s 3d.

"On November 20th, 1525 {Feltwell Fair Day) he was commissioned to
assess taxes on holders of land to the value of £50 and over in the hundreds of Wayland
and Grimshoe and the town of Thetford his own tax was £2 13s 4d.

"On July 13th, 1530, he was commissioned, with others, to make
inquisitions into the Norfolk possessions of Wolsey (after the Attainder of the Cardinal),
and in the following month (August 3rd) to make inquisitions into certain lands given by
Wolsey before his attainder to the College of Oxford and leased out to certain
farmers."

After noting Francis' appointment as a Commissioner for Tenths of Spiritualities, Mr.
Orange writes that Francis died on August 8th, 1536.